If you’ve been following me on Instagram for the past few months (or if you’re familiar with cyclical living), then you may have heard me mention an inner season or two.

“I’m in my inner autumn and I’m feeling exhausted,” I have said on many occasion.

What I’m referring to is the seasons of my menstrual cycle. As these terms become more widely used, I believe we can use this terminology to quickly identify where our friends are in their cycles, and perhaps how they may be feeling, reacting or showing up during this time. It’s a beautiful language that makes more sense as you dive in.

Our inner winter is referring to menstruation, or the time when we are turning inwards, resting and bleeding. It’s typically a quieter season, when we’re feeling low energy and grounded.

Similar to how winter transitions to spring, we experience our inner spring during the week of pre-ovulation. It’s a tender time for play, when we emerge back into the bright world and blossom.

Our inner summer is ovulation, and who’s surprised by that?! It’s a hot, sexy, sensual week in the menstrual cycle for many women. For some, an egg has dropped and our hormones are roaring. We are feeling our most powerful, our most confident and our most extroverted. We are SUPERWOMEN!

Finally, just as the days shorten outside in fall, our inner autumn is a return to that inward energy. During the pre-menstruum week, (if the egg wasn’t fertilized) our body is experiencing death and decay similar to the turning leaves in nature. Our body is winding back down to begin in winter once more.

For the women who no longer have active cycles, these seasons show up in the lunar cycle as well!

The inner winter season is often connected with the New Moon, spring is when the moon is Waxing, summer is that Full Moon energy, and then autumn is the Waning moon.

Now, imagine a world where these words and attached meanings were common knowledge.

Imagine how you could show up for your friends and meet them where they were, and vice versa. Imagine how your family could support you because they understood your needs based on your inner season. Imagine how powerful that would be in every facet of your life!

That’s the magic of cyclical living. And I’m so excited to share so much more in the coming months!

xo Lauren